Dental surgery without the scalpel

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Nearly three million Americans have dental implants, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

Most of the procedures go well, but sometimes, there is gum loss that causes self-consciousness and tooth sensitivity. A new technique allows a dentist to move gums back into place without cutting or stitching.

Marichel Esguerra had two gum grafts, trying to fix recession at the base of her dental implants. Neither worked.

 “My gums have receded and it’s showing all the roots when I smile. So I have this insecurity all the time,” Esguerra explained.

Marichel flew from her home in the Bay Area to L.A. when she heard about Dr. John Chao’s Pinhole Implant Rejuvenation Technique.

John Chao, DDS, Pinhole Implant Rejuvenation Developer told Ivanhoe, “We can basically move the gums down to where they should be without any of the cutting or stitching that’s required of a normal grafting procedure.”

After removing the crown and the abutment it sits on, Dr. Chao makes pinholes in the gum and loosens tissue, pulling it down over the exposed root. A few strips of collagen and sometimes growth factor follow.

“And lo and behold, we have the gums where they needs to be and the gums will grow to where they need to be to attach to the implant,” Dr. Chao stated.

Esguerra said, “This procedure is beyond my expectations. The result was amazing, and I’m speechless.”

She took Advil the day of treatment and was back to her job as a nurse almost immediately.

Pinhole Implant Rejuvenation takes 30 minutes, then an hour for one implant and longer for more teeth. Doctor Chao says the cost is similar to the cost of grafting, but there’s less pain, less swelling, and less recovery time. He has trained about 25 hundred dentists across the country to use this technique.

Contributors to this news report include: Wendy Chioji, Field Producer; Rusty Reed, Videographer; Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Gabriella Battistiol, Assistant Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.